The FAR Side of Government Contracting

Reposted from an older blog.

The entire edifice of government contracting rests upon the foundation of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the FAR.

True, there are a gazillion other informative resources, like departmental supplements to the FAR (like the Defense Department's FAR Supplement [DFARS] or the Department of Energy's [EFARS], etc), departmental policy guidance (like Department of Defense Directives [DODD] and Instructions [DODI]), and directives and policies unique to certain departments and activities.  But the basis of all these is the FAR.

If you are involved in government contracting, you must know the FAR.  For contracting activities, contracting officers and analysts, as well as for heads of requiring activities, and even program managers and contractors themselves, the FAR is their contracting Bible.

Here are a few websites that will take you to the FAR ---

(1)  The FARSite, http://farsite.hill.af.mil/, which also provides links to all the departmental supplements.  Say, for instance, that you work for - or want to do business with - the Department of Agriculture.  The FARSite has a link to the AGAR, or the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation.

(2)  There's Acquisition Central's FAR website at http://www.arnet.gov/far/.  This site contains a searchable, current version of the FAR.  It also features links to ancillary information, like Proposed Rules and Public Comments (to proposed rules).  There's even a link if you wish to subscribe to Aquisition News.

(3)  And then there's my favorite.  Google "farsearch" and you will get http://farsite.hill.af.mil/search.htm.  This site is set up so that you can do simple searches.  For example, in the search box type in "contract management."  Thirty-two FAR and DFARS references pop up.  You can either refine your search at that point; or, you may select a particular reference by clicking on the viewing option.  After clicking on a viewing option, you are taken to the specific FAR Part or Subpart where your search term is used.  The first thing you will see is the table of contents for that particular Part.  Then, scrolling down, you will see the text of that entire Part --- with your search term will be highlighted in bold red.  (Note:  the FARSearch capability is also accessible via the the FARSite page.  Just look for the FARSearch button at the bottom of the page.)

(4)  This link, http://farsite.hill.af.mil/REGHTML/Regs/far2afmcfars/fardfars/Far/Far1toc.htm, will take you to a hyperlinked FAR Table of Contents.  This is different from the "FARSearch" site in that it's taken for granted that you already know a thing or two about the FAR and therefore will have no problem scrolling down the lengthy tables to the exact spot you're looking for.  Click on the item and, presto, you're taken right to that very FAR Part.

It's not a stretch to say that the FAR is the Bible of government contracting.  But the FAR is not like the Ten Commandments, for it is not etched in stone.  Practically every successive Congress tinkers a bit with the FAR.  Therefore, changes and updates are issued.  References 1, 2, and 3 above keep up with these changes for you.

But even though it is not engraven in Mount Sinai granite, it is still an undeniable, universal truth to say that, if you're going to do business with the Federal Government, the rule book for that business is the FAR.

Get to know it.